Picking Up The Pieces
by Lori - SixteenOzs
Summary: Mark/Elizabeth: Elizabeth finds that it's not always easy to balance being a surgeon and being a mother.


Picking Up The Pieces  
By: Lori (SixteenOzs)  
  
DISCLAIMER: "ER," the characters and situations depicted within are the property of Warner Bros. Television, Amblin Entertainment, Constant c Productions, NBC, etc. They are borrowed without permission, but without the intent of infringement. The story presented here is written solely for entertainment purposes, and the author is not making a profit.  
  
Please do not post or redistribute without the disclaimer above, or without the consent of the author.  
  
Feedback is welcome. Please send all questions, comments or criticisms to SixteenOzs02@yahoo.com  
  
SUMMARY: Elizabeth finds that it's not always easy to balance being a surgeon and being a mother.   
  
RATING: PG  
  
BACKGROUND: This story is set in July 2005, about four years after the end of Season 7. Mark and Elizabeth are living in Chicago, working at County and raising their four year-old son, David.   
  
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cari, Ros and Alicia for their invaluable help in looking at scenes as I completed them and giving me such great feedback. Thank you so much!!  
  
*****  
  
With a sigh, Elizabeth tentatively stretched the muscles in her neck as she walked down the stairs. Entering the kitchen, she smiled as she saw Mark working at the island. She stood behind him, then slipped her arms around his waist. "What are you doing?" she asked softly.  
  
"Fixing potato salad for dinner," he answered without turning around. "I thought that would go well with the hamburgers."  
  
She laughed, then questioned. "David talked you into fixing one of his favorites?"  
  
"Something like that," he chuckled. Turning to offer her a taste from the spoon he was holding, he said, "Here, what do you think of this?"  
  
After trying the potato salad and thinking for a moment, Elizabeth commented, "It's good. Very good. Is this your mother's recipe?"  
  
"Yeah," he smiled.  
  
Looking around the kitchen and into the living room, she curiously asked, "Where's David? Since you're in the kitchen, I'm surprised he's not in here, offering to be your taste-tester."  
  
"He's upstairs in his room, playing with building blocks. I checked on him about half an hour ago." Gently pulling away from her, he walked over to the sink and washed his hands. He leaned against the counter as he dried his hands and said, "I looked in the study while I was up there, but you seemed pretty intent on what you were doing. I didn't want to interrupt. How's the budget review coming?"  
  
"Slowly. Very, very slowly," she said dejectedly.  
  
Sympathetically, he asked, "Are you sure there's nothing I can do?"  
  
She sighed and shook her head. "I've been doing the surgical budget for the last six years, so I know what to look for. It would take too long for me to explain it to you. But thank you for the offer."  
  
"No problem," he smiled.  
  
"Even though I'm thrilled that I no longer have to deal with Romano, I should have known that he'd find a way to cause me aggravation even after leaving County," she muttered with a jaded expression.  
  
A curious look crossed Mark's face as he wondered, "What do you mean?"  
  
"Since Romano left to take the new job at UCLA just before the end of the June, it's now up to me to compile the quarterly budget summaries. And that involves reviewing the budgets of ALL hospital departments for the last three months. Before he left, Romano basically had me acting as Chief of Surgery, running that department, while he handled the entire hospital. Now, the Board of Directors want me to do it all," she explained. "I swear, I think the only way one person could do both jobs is if they lived at the hospital and could make it on about three hours of sleep a night."  
  
"Isn't there someone who can help you with everything? Since you're acting as interim Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery, why can't you appoint an interim Associate Chief of Surgery?" he suggested.  
  
She sighed heavily. "I suggested that last week, and the Board was less than thrilled. They said they're hoping to fill the position quickly, and it would be a waste of time."  
  
"Better a waste of time than your sanity," he offered.  
  
Before she could reply, they heard a loud crash from upstairs.  
  
"What was that?" Mark asked quickly.  
  
Her voice anxious, Elizabeth replied, "David!"  
  
Elizabeth raced up the stairs, with Mark close behind her, calling their son's name. Reaching the landing, she immediately headed for David's room. Not seeing him there, she checked the master bedroom as Mark looked in the bathroom and Rachel's bedroom. Elizabeth checked the master bath and was surprised not to find him there either. The only other room on the second floor was the study, but David knew he wasn't allowed in there.  
  
Deciding to check, just in case, Elizabeth walked down the hall. She stopped at the door, shocked to see their four year-old son standing in front of the desk, amid shattered pieces of crystal and brightly colored flowers. Mark stepped up behind her a few moments later.  
  
"David Charles Greene?! What happened here?" Elizabeth demanded as she entered the room.  
  
Uh-oh. He was in trouble, and he knew it. Mummy used his middle name. With tears pooling in his large brown eyes, David sorrowfully tried to explain. "I-I wanted to hide under the desk and surprise you, Mummy. The flowers fell off. I'm sorry."  
  
"David, you know you are NOT supposed to be in this room alone!" Elizabeth reminded him, her voice rising.  
  
David just stood in the middle of the room, anxiously looking up at his parents, fighting not to let his tears fall.  
  
Mark looked from his wife to his son, then back again. He placed his hand on Elizabeth's arm and guided her out into the hallway. Turning back to David, he said, "Don't move an inch until I come back!"  
  
"What?" she questioned, practically spitting out the word.  
  
"Elizabeth!" he said forcefully, hoping to get her attention. "Just tell me one thing. Who is it you're mad at right now? David or the hospital's Board?"  
  
It took a moment for his words to register, but then she exhaled heavily as her shoulders slumped and she hung her head. All of her ire from moments earlier seemed to empty out of her body, leaving only a limp form in its wake.  
  
Mark stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "It's okay," he whispered into her thick red curls.  
  
"No, it's not okay," she said quietly as she rested her cheek on his shoulder. "I'm frustrated with work, and I just took that out on our son."  
  
"Elizabeth, you lost your temper. You're not perfect," he reminded her gently. "David and I both know that, and we love you anyway."  
  
After a moment, she admitted, "I-I should go in there and apologize to him."  
  
Mark considered that, then said, "I've got another idea. He was wrong. He knows he's not supposed to go in there alone, but he did and he broke your vase. He needs to be punished. But if you go in there right now and apologize, he's going to think he's getting off the hook. Why don't you lock yourself in our bathroom and stay in the tub until you start to prune. I'll talk to David, take care of this and we'll have dinner ready when you get out."  
  
"I don't want him to think I'm mad at him." She paused. "Well, I am, because he knows the rules, but I'm not as mad as he thinks I am."  
  
"I'll talk to him," Mark repeated. "I think you both could use a little time to cool off."  
  
She nodded in agreement, then sadly commented, "I can't believe he broke that vase. The flowers you sent me soon after we got back from New York, while I was pregnant, came in that vase."  
  
"I know," he nodded understandingly. Smiling, he wondered, "But you don't need a vase to know how much I love you, do you?"  
  
"No," she admitted with a faint smile.   
  
"Go, take a bath. I've got this."  
  
She stepped out of his embrace and started down the hall. After taking but a few steps, she turned back, "What about the budget?"  
  
"The budget can wait," he said firmly. "Right now, I think your sanity and our family are more important."  
  
"Thank you," she whispered.  
  
"You're welcome," he smiled as he walked back into the study and found David in the exact same position he'd been a few minutes earlier.  
  
Picking up the little boy, Mark carried him to the chair by the window and sat him down. He reached for a few tissues and kneeled in front of the chair as he wiped the tears from David's face. "Want to tell me what happened in here?"  
  
David sniffled a few times, then started to explain. "Mummy's workin' all day. She said she didn't have time to play with me, but I heard her go downstairs. I wanted to hide under the desk and surprise her when she came back. But the flowers fall off and break."  
  
"Do you know how the flowers fell off the desk?"  
  
"No, Daddy," David said, shaking his head.  
  
"Do you know the rule for you being in this room?"  
  
David looked down at his shoes for several long moments before he quietly said, "Yes, Daddy."  
  
"And what is that rule?"  
  
He sighed as he continued to study his shoes. "I'm not suppos'd to come in here 'til you or Mummy says I can."  
  
"That's right," Mark confirmed. "Did Mummy or I tell you that you could come in here today?"  
  
"No," he admitted as a few more tears slipped down his face.  
  
"Why do you think it is that Mummy and I don't want you in here without one of us being in here, too?"  
  
David looked confused for a moment, then suggested, "So I won't break the flowers?"  
  
"That's part of it," Mark nodded, as he wiped David's face again, "but it's also because Mummy and I keep important papers and things for work in here, and we don't want you to mess those up."  
  
Quietly, David wondered, "Mummy's mad at me, isn't she?"  
  
Mark sighed as he tried to figure out the best way to explain this to a four year-old. "Mummy's upset that you broke her vase, but she's not mad at you."  
  
"Then why did she yell at me?" he asked plaintively.  
  
Mark thought for a few moments, then tried to explain. "Mummy's under a lot of pressure at the hospital lately. Her boss took a job at another hospital, so now she's trying to do all of her regular work, plus all of his work. That's why she was working in here today, trying to catch up on all of it." He paused as he tried to decide what to say next. "I know it probably sounds strange, but sometimes when grown-ups are under a lot of stress or they have a lot of work to do, they'll snap or yell at the people who love them, even if they don't really mean to do it. It's because they know the people who love them will forgive them. Does that make sense?"  
  
A puzzled expression crossed David's face, and he didn't reply immediately. Finally, he said, "So, Mummy yelled at me because she knows I love her and will forgive her?"  
  
"Yeah, basically," Mark nodded with a smile as he brushed David's hair back from his face. "But even though Mummy was wrong to yell at you; you weren't supposed to be in here and you did break her vase."  
  
"Did Mummy really like that vase?" David asked.  
  
"Yes, she did," Mark confirmed. "I gave it to Mummy while we were waiting for you to be born. I'd been pretty sick, so I knew she was worried about me. She was also really upset about some stuff at work. I wanted to do something to cheer her up, to make her feel better, so I sent her some flowers. That was the vase they came in. Since then, whenever we've been trying to make it through rough times, Mummy would get flowers and put them in that vase. That way, we'd be reminded that we made it through rough times once, and we could do it again."  
  
After a moment, David sadly said, "But now Mummy doesn't have a vase for her flowers."  
  
"Maybe we can get her a new one," Mark suggested.  
  
David looked up in surprise. "Really?"  
  
"Really. But first, I think we need to decide what to do about THIS vase."  
  
"Am I going to get punish'd?" David wondered, giving his father his best apologetic, 'puppy-dog' look.  
  
"I think that's a pretty safe bet," Mark replied with a chuckle.  
  
"I'm really sorry, Daddy," David reminded him. "Can't we just go downstairs and fix milkshakes?"  
  
"No, we cannot," Mark said firmly. "What we're going to do is clean up this mess."  
  
*****  
  
Half an hour later, David followed his father down the stairs and outside as Mark placed the bag containing the broken pieces of glass and flowers in the garbage can. Walking back into the kitchen, Mark said, "I'm going to finish fixing dinner, and I want you to go sit over there at the table and think about why Mummy and I didn't want you to go in the study by yourself."  
  
Sulking, David asked, "How long do I have to sit there?"  
  
Mark considered this, then replied, "Until dinner's ready."  
  
"How long will that be?"  
  
"About half an hour."  
  
"Daddy!" he whined.  
  
"David," Mark said in a firm tone as he washed his hands, "I want you to sit at the table until dinner is ready. I don't want you to move or say anything until then. Just think about what you did."  
  
David stomped across the kitchen, climbed onto one of the chairs, folded his arms across his chest and sighed loudly.  
  
With a grin, Mark warned, "The longer you pout about this, the longer you're going to have to sit there."  
  
David looked to his father, then reluctantly slouched in the chair and stared at the table.  
  
Mark watched the little boy for a moment, a slight smile on his face, then moved to the refrigerator and retrieved everything he would need to make a salad.  
  
*****  
  
Elizabeth entered the kitchen as Mark was placing tomatoes around the top of the salad. Moving to stand next to him, Elizabeth stole a cucumber slice and teased, "All that, and aesthetically pleasing, too."  
  
"Feeling better after your bath?" Mark wondered.  
  
"Much," she said softly. "Thank you."  
  
"No problem," he assured her. "And everything's been cleaned up in the study."  
  
Nodding towards David, Elizabeth commented, "What's going on? I'm not sure I've ever seen him that quite and that still, except when he's sleeping."  
  
"He's thinking about why he wasn't supposed to be in the study this afternoon. And he's going to be thinking about it until dinner's ready," Mark explained as he reached for the croutons and sprinkled them over the salad.  
  
"Are you getting ready to put the burgers on the grill?" she questioned.  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"I want to talk to him," she said quietly.  
  
"Okay," he smiled. Going to the refrigerator, he took out a plate with the hamburger patties, then picked up a package of rolls from the counter. "I'll be outside."  
  
"Thanks," she said with a smile. After Mark left the kitchen, Elizabeth walked over to the table and pulled a chair next to David, then turned his chair so that he was facing her. "Hi," she said softly.  
  
"Hi," David replied, almost hesitantly.  
  
Elizabeth drew in a deep breath. "David, I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier. I was upset about some other things, and I took that out on you. I shouldn't have done that, and I'm sorry."  
  
He watched her curiously, then smiled. "That's okay, Mummy. Daddy explain'd it to me."  
  
"He did, did he?" Elizabeth questioned with a grin.  
  
David nodded. "He said you yelled at me because you know I love you and would forgive you."  
  
"Do you forgive me?"  
  
"If you forgive me for breakin' your flowers," David said apologetically.  
  
"Of course I forgive you," Elizabeth said as she brushed a lock of hair back from his face.  
  
"Then I forgive you, too," David smiled.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
David hesitated a moment, then said, "Daddy told me he gave you that vase when he was sick and you were waiting for me to be born."  
  
"Yes, he did," Elizabeth confirmed with a nod.  
  
"Mummy, I'm sorry I broke it," David said tearfully.  
  
"I know you are, Sweetheart," she assured him. "But Daddy made me realize that I don't need that vase to know that he loves me, or that you love me."  
  
"I do love you, Mummy."  
  
"I love you, too, Sweetheart," Elizabeth whispered as she picked him up and pulled him onto her lap. After a moment, she wondered, "Do you want to eat outside on the deck tonight?"  
  
"Yeah," he nodded with a smile.   
  
"Want to help me take things out there?"  
  
"Sure," David replied cheerfully as he hopped down.  
  
"First, let's wash your hands," Elizabeth said as she picked him up and held him so that he could reach the sink.  
  
After they'd both washed their hands, Elizabeth retrieved a tray from the cabinet, then loaded it with the garden salad and potato salad Mark made, a box of apple juice for David, glasses of iced tea for her and Mark, spoons, forks and a table cloth. Turning to David, she wondered, "What else do we need?"  
  
He thought for a moment, then exclaimed, "Ketchup!"  
  
"That's right," she laughed. "We can't forget the ketchup for your burger."  
  
After getting everything they would need for the burgers, she asked, "What else?"  
  
"Plates?" David suggested with a giggle.  
  
"Plates would help, wouldn't they? And with you, I'm pretty sure we'll need napkins, too," she chuckled. "You want to carry them for me?"  
  
"Okay, Mummy," he agreed as he followed her to the cabinet.  
  
Handing him three plates and a stack of napkins, she warned, "Be careful, we don't want to drop these."  
  
"I won't," he promised.  
  
Smiling as she picked up the tray, Elizabeth suggested, "Let's go make sure Daddy's not burning the burgers."  
  
Walking upstairs to the deck, they found Mark monitoring the grill. After setting the tray on the table, Elizabeth walked behind Mark and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Everything okay?"  
  
"Yeah," Mark nodded. "How are things with you two?"  
  
"I think we're okay," Elizabeth smiled softly. "Thanks."  
  
"We're in this together, remember?" he reminded her with a grin.  
  
"I remember," she whispered as she kissed his cheek. "I'd better go set the table."  
  
A few moments later, David came up to Mark and tugged on his father's shirt. "Daddy, can you help me?"  
  
Bending down to David's level, Mark wondered, "What do you need help with?"  
  
"It's a surprise," David answered, "but you need to come with me."  
  
"A surprise? What kind of surprise?" Mark asked with a smile.  
  
"It's a surprise!" David repeated. "I can't tell you yet."  
  
Turning to Elizabeth, Mark wondered, "Can you cover the grill for a while?"  
  
"I think I can manage," she laughed. "I'm just trying to figure out what you two are up to."  
  
David took Mark by the hand and led him down the stairs into the backyard.  
  
"Are you going to tell me what I need to do now?" Mark wondered.  
  
"I want to give Mummy some of the pretty flowers from out back," David answered simply.  
  
"Okay, I think we can manage that." Mark said as he took David's hand and they walked to the back corner of the yard.  
  
Once while she was pregnant, Elizabeth told Mark how she'd always wanted a rose garden. About a week after David's birth, Mark led her to the backyard where she found a freshly planted white rose bush. Since then, they'd added a new rose bush to commemorate every birthday and anniversary they shared together.  
  
"So, what color roses should we pick for Mummy?" Mark wondered.  
  
"What color is Mummy's favorite?"  
  
"Well, she likes all of them, but especially the peach colored one here, and the white one over there," Mark explained.  
  
"Okay," David nodded excitedly. "Can we get some of those, and the red and the yellow one?"  
  
Mark chuckled. "So basically just a little bit of everything?"  
  
"Yeah," David laughed.  
  
After cutting the flowers, Mark took David into the kitchen where they found a small bud vase, filled it with water and arranged the roses for Elizabeth.  
  
"Are you going to take those up to Mummy?" Mark wondered.  
  
David nodded with a huge smile.  
  
"Just be careful and don't spill the water or drop the vase."  
  
"I won't, Daddy," David promised. Picking up the vase with both hands, he held it tightly as he carefully walked up the stairs to the deck.  
  
Mark smiled as he climbed the stairs behind his son. He stopped as he reached the deck and just watched the scene before him.  
  
Elizabeth's back was to them as she carefully turned the hamburgers on the grill. David quietly approached her from behind, then said, "Mummy, I have something for you."  
  
"What is it, sweetheart?" she wondered, as she continued to face the grill.  
  
"This," David said quietly as he held out the flowers.  
  
Placing the spatula next to the grill and replacing the cover, Elizabeth turned around, her breath catching in her throat at what she saw. Crouching to their son's level, she reached for the flowers and asked, "Are these for me?"  
  
"I wanted you to have more flowers," David explained softly.  
  
"Thank you very much," she said, her voice breaking. "They're beautiful."  
  
"You like them?"  
  
"I like them very much. Did you pick them for me yourself?"  
  
"Well, I picked out the ones I liked and Daddy cut them for me," David explained.  
  
"So, does that mean I should thank him, too?" Elizabeth asked with a smile.  
  
"I guess so," he nodded.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered as she kissed David on the forehead. Standing up, she placed the flowers in the center of the table, then walked over to Mark. "Thank you, too."  
  
He just shrugged. "You don't have to thank me. It was his idea."  
  
*****  
  
Later that evening, Mark and Elizabeth were stretched out in a hammock on the deck, with David lying between them. Pointing to the sky, Mark asked, "Do you see the three stars in a row right there?"  
  
"There?" David questioned, pointing upward.  
  
"Yeah," Mark nodded, "that's Orion's belt. Then those other stars are his arms and legs. Do you see that?"  
  
"That's neat!" David exclaimed. "Is that star in the middle his head?"  
  
"Yeah," Mark smiled proudly as he watched his son.  
  
"How do you know about the stars and the planets?" David asked inquisitively.  
  
"Well, when I was little, like you are now, my dad was in the Navy. He'd be out on a ship in the middle of the ocean for a long time, so of a night, he'd go up on the ship's deck and study the stars. Then, when he'd come home, we'd go out in the backyard and he'd tell me all about them," Mark explained with a smile.  
  
A curious expression passed over David's face before he finally wondered, "Do I know your daddy?"  
  
Elizabeth watched Mark carefully, knowing his father's death wasn't something that he talked about often. Carefully, she reached over David and gently laced her fingers with Mark's.  
  
Mark smiled sadly and shook his head. "No, you don't know him. He died about a year before you were born. That's part of why Mummy and I named you David. That was his name, too."  
  
"So, he's with the angels now?" David concluded. "Like the bird we found under the tree?"  
  
"Yeah," Mark confirmed softly, "he's in Heaven with the angels."  
  
"What about your Mummy?" David asked somewhat hesitantly.  
  
"She's in Heaven, too."  
  
David seemed to ponder this for some time before he spoke again. "Do you miss them?"  
  
Elizabeth bit her lip as she saw the tears pool in Mark's eyes, wishing there was some way she could make this easier for him, but also knowing that he needed to tell David this himself.  
  
"Yeah, I do miss them," Mark admitted quietly.  
  
David was quiet for several minutes, then tearfully said, "I don't want you and Mummy to die and go to Heaven."  
  
Elizabeth gasped softly. She wasn't prepared for that. She also wasn't prepared for the rush of memories that one simple statement brought back. Suddenly, she recalled exactly how she felt when Mark told her about the brain tumor, how terrified she'd been of losing him, so many years ago now.  
  
"Oh, David," Mark sighed as he hugged his son to his chest, "you're not going to have to worry about that for a very long time."  
  
"But if your mummy and daddy died, then..." David trailed off.  
  
"David, Mummy and I will always be with you," Mark promised.  
  
"Really?" David questioned suspiciously.  
  
"Really," Mark nodded. "And we will always love you more than anything else in this world."  
  
David smiled through the paths of dried tears on his face. "I love you, too, Daddy."  
  
"What about me?" Elizabeth asked softly.  
  
David turned around so that he was facing his mother, then giggled. "I love you, too."  
  
"Good," Elizabeth smiled as she kissed him on the forehead. "Because Daddy's right. We do love you more than anything else in this world."  
  
Elizabeth closed her eyes as she rested her chin on top of David's head. Mark's arm was wrapped around her shoulders as they cradled their son between them. She wasn't sure how long they remained like that, but she would have been perfectly content to stay right there forever.  
  
Finally, David began to squirm. Turning back to Mark, he yawned, then said, "Daddy, tell me more about the stars."  
  
"Why don't we save that for another night?" Mark suggested. "It's getting pretty close to your bedtime. So, I think you should go upstairs, make sure everything in your room has been picked up and get your PJs ready. I'll come up in a little while to give you a bath, then Mummy will read you a story before you go to bed. Sound okay?"  
  
"Okay, Daddy," David said sleepily.  
  
Mark picked him and lifted him over the edge of the hammock so that David was standing on the deck. "I'll be up in a few minutes."  
  
"Okay," David nodded before he turned to head down the stairs.  
  
Elizabeth stared after him, her brow creased, prompting Mark to ask, "What is it?"  
  
"I just don't think I've ever seen him that cooperative about his bedtime."  
  
"Maybe he's still trying to make up for this afternoon," Mark suggested with a shrug.  
  
"Maybe," she agreed softly.  
  
He studied her for a few moments, then wondered, "Is there something else?"  
  
She didn't respond immediately, but finally sighed and said, "Are you sure you told him the right thing?"  
  
"About what?" Mark asked in confusion.  
  
"Telling him that we'd always be here for him," she explained quietly. "There are no guarantees, Mark. We both see that at work every day."  
  
"I promised him that we'd always be with him," he correctly, "not that we'd always be here."  
  
She looked at him, and sighed again. "That's a very fine distinction, Mark. One that I'm sure he doesn't realize."  
  
It was now Mark's turn to sigh. "You're right. We don't know what's going to happen, not tomorrow, not next week, not next year. But what I do know is that every time I look at that little boy, I'm moved by the innocence I see in his face. I also know that's not going to last forever. Right now, all he knows about death is that the robin who fell out of the tree and his grandparents are in Heaven with the angels. He's going to grow up and there's nothing we can do to stop it. I don't know if I'm right, but I just want him to enjoy being a kid now because he won't always have that luxury."  
  
Elizabeth moved closer and rested her head on his shoulder. Softly, she admitted, "Maybe."  
  
"What are you thinking?" he questioned as he softly caressed her cheek.  
  
"Just how strange it is that one comment from a four year-old could bring up my worst fear."  
  
"When I was sick?" he prompted gently.  
  
She nodded while trying to blink back the tears. "I still remember how that felt, how terrified I was that I was going to lose you, that I'd have to raise David alone, that I'd never know what it felt like to lay here beneath the stars with the two people who mean more to me than anything else in this world."  
  
"I am so sorry you had to go through that," he said sincerely.  
  
"You don't have to apologize, Mark. I know that if it were up to you it never would have happened."  
  
He smiled slightly, then reminded her, "I went back to Dr. Burke last month. He said everything looks great, full remission."  
  
"I know," she whispered. "I just never want to lose you."  
  
"As long as I have anything to say about it, you never will," he promised as he kissed the top of her head.  
  
She closed her eyes and relished just how wonderful it felt to be so close to him. Reluctantly, her eyes fluttered open a few moments later. "As much as I love having you here like this, you should probably head upstairs before someone comes back looking for you, and decides to rethink being so cooperative about going to bed."  
  
Mark laughed as he began to untangle his body from hers. "Are you going to come up to read him a story before bed?"  
  
"Yeah," she nodded as she looked up at him from the hammock, "I'll be there before you finish his bath."  
  
"See you then," he said softly as he leaned over and kissed her gently.  
  
*****  
  
Elizabeth turned the page in "Curious George Takes a Job," then looked beside her and found David sound asleep. Closing the book, she placed it on the nightstand and turned off the light. The small lamp on the dresser provided the only remaining illumination in the room.  
  
She just sat there, watching his small form, gently stroking the hair back from his face. Mark's words echoed through her mind. "He's going to grow up and there's nothing we can do to stop it." She knew Mark was right, there was nothing they could do to stop David from growing up; but most importantly, she didn't want to miss it.  
  
Wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, she smiled slightly as she leaned over and kissed David on the forehead. She stood slowly, then carefully tucked the blankets around him and his favorite teddy bear before leaving the room.  
  
A few minutes later, she found Mark stretched out in the hammock once again. "Mind if I join you?" she asked with a soft smile.  
  
"Never," he chuckled. Nodding to the table next to him, he commented, "I brought a beer up for you."  
  
She laid down next to him, then reached for the beer he was drinking. Taking a sip, she grinned, "Thanks."  
  
He laughed as he took the bottle back. "You were up there quite a while. Did David put up a fight before falling asleep?"  
  
"No," she shook her head, "he was actually asleep after about ten minutes. I was just watching him."  
  
Noticing that something seemed amiss, he wondered, "You okay?"  
  
She hesitated, then tried to change the subject, "So, your father taught you about the constellations?"  
  
He studied her curiously, aware of what she was trying to do, then decided to let it pass, at least for now. "Yeah," he answered, "it was one of the things I always looked forward to when he'd come home on leave. He used to take me down to the shipyard, too. I was always so overwhelmed by how huge they were."  
  
She smiled, but then her expression turned sad. "My mother is an astrophysics lecturer, and I learned more from an astronomy course at university."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
She stared up at the sky for several moments before she finally replied. "I suppose I was about David's age, maybe a bit older. She tried to teach me about the constellations and the planets, where they were in location to each other, the stories behind all of them, that sort of thing. I tried, but I confused everything. She gave up after that."  
  
He gently ran his hand along the length of her arm. "Maybe she was just getting frustrated at herself for not being able to explain it better. You know how difficult it can be to explain something in a way that David can understand. Or maybe you just weren't ready for all of that."  
  
"I don't know. Maybe." She reached for his beer and took another drink to cover the silence.  
  
"Since David was born, I notice I think a lot more about the things Dad taught me. It's strange, because I don't think I remembered half of it before he died, but it's all coming back to me now. I can't help but think there would have been a lot more if I hadn't been so stubborn for so long," he admitted quietly.  
  
"But you both made a lot of progress those last few months, when he was here in Chicago," she reminded him with a smile.  
  
"I know," he nodded. "That time with Dad made me realize that I'd missed out on a lot with Rachel. I still hate the fact that she's in Saint Louis, and not here, but I'm trying to make the most of the time we do have together. And I'm trying not to make the same mistakes with David."  
  
"You're doing fine," she assured him. "They both know how much you love them."  
  
"Thanks," he smiled softly.  
  
After a few moments, she asked, "Your mother didn't work when you were growing up, did she?"  
  
"No, not really" he replied, as he tried to figure out where she was going with this. "Occasionally, she'd baby-sit other kids in the neighborhood, but she never had anything like a nine-to-five office job. Why?"  
  
She drew in a deep breath, and her voice shook as she quietly said, "Before I started reading David his story tonight, he asked me why I had to work so much, why I couldn't spend more time with him."  
  
Mark sat his beer on the table next to the hammock, then drew her closer and gently rubbed her back. "David's just too young to understand. He doesn't realize that you have more work now that Romano's gone, that it's just going to take a little more of your time for a while."  
  
Elizabeth shook her head sadly. "No, I think he understands perfectly. Before Romano left, whenever my shift finished before yours, I'd pick David up from daycare, then we'd go for a walk, get some ice cream or feed the geese by the river. He'd tell me all about his day and ask me questions about everything we saw. It was incredible just to see everything through his eyes. It's been almost a month since we've done that."  
  
"But that's not to say it's always going to be like this," Mark pointed out. "Right now, you're doing more at the hospital because you're trying to cover Romano's job as well as your own. Once the Board appoints a new Chief, everything will get back to normal."  
  
Laughing ruefully, she said, "Come on, Mark. You know as well as I do that once the hospital gives you a job to do, they're not going to bother giving it to someone else as long as you're giving them what they want."  
  
"What do YOU want?" he inquired gently.  
  
She sighed heavily, then admitted, "I'm not sure. There's a part of me that would love to be Chief of Surgery. I've worked my entire career for something like that. And if I really want that, I know I can't step down as Acting Chief of Staff OR Acting Chief of Surgery. I just don't want to lose my son in the process."  
  
"What about Chief of Staff?"  
  
"No," she shook her head firmly. "It's too much of a headache. I'd be buried in nothing but administrative matters. I'd be lucky if I got in an OR once a week. I don't want that. I talked to Donald this week, he agreed that it's not for me."  
  
Mark thought for a moment, then suggested, "Could Donald be of any help? He had the job before Romano. Maybe he could help ease your work load, just until a new Chief of Staff is appointed."  
  
"Maybe," she agreed quietly. "I'll try talking to him tomorrow."  
  
He gently caressed her cheek. "That's not all that's bothering you, is it?"  
  
She closed her eyes to hold back the tears, but looked back to him after several moments. "I realized something today, Mark."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"I'm turning into my mother," she said in a whisper, "and I don't like it."  
  
He looked at her with a confused expression. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"While I was taking a bath, I remembered this time with I was probably about eight years old. It was after the divorce, and I was staying with Mother. She was working at her desk all day on research for this lecture she was preparing, or something like that. All I really wanted was to have a tea party with her, but every time I asked, she said she was too busy and we'd do it later. Sometime that afternoon, I heard the doorbell ring, and it was my mother's secretary. While Mother was at the door with her, I carried my little tray down to her desk. I had the teapot, the cups and saucers, a plate of crumpets. I was pouring the tea when she came back in the room. She yelled, 'Elizabeth! What do you think you're doing?!' It startled me, and I spilt tea all over her desk, all over her research, everything." Elizabeth stopped and swallowed hard before she was able to continue. "Mother was livid. She sent me to my room, and that's where I stayed until the next morning. I started boarding school that fall."  
  
"Oh, Elizabeth," he whispered as he held her tightly. Pulling back after a few moments, he stroked her hair away from her face. "You spilt tea on your mother's papers and David broke your vase, but that's where the similarities end. We both talked to David about what happened. He knows he was wrong, but we also made sure that he knows we still love him."  
  
She sniffled and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Right now, he's four years old. He'll still forgive me for the mistakes I make. His love is unconditional. How long is that going to last? How long can I expect him to be there, but only when it's convenient for me?"  
  
He watched her, then carefully wondered, "Are you saying you want to stop working?"  
  
She sighed heavily. "I don't know. I don't know, Mark. I love my work, but I don't want to lose David because of it. I want to do what's best for all of us, but I don't know what that is."  
  
"I think I can tell you one thing that wouldn't be good for any of us. And that's if you quit your job. You're a doctor, Elizabeth. It's a part of you; it's a very large part of who you are. I've known that since the day we met, since the day I fell in love with you. If you quit, it would be great for a while, for both you and David. But eventually, you'd start to miss it too much. Even though it's the last thing you would ever want, you may even start to resent David for keeping you from it," he pointed out gently. "Maybe you could cut back on your hours so you can spend more time with him. Or maybe you could just take a sabbatical for a year until David starts kindergarten. But first, why don't you just see if Donald can help out, and see how things go until we get a new Chief?"  
  
"You don't think I should make a decision right away?" she asked quietly.  
  
"No, I don't," he answered honestly. "You've been under a lot of pressure at work the last few weeks, trying to run everything yourself. And what happened here today didn't help matters any. If we just give it a little time, I think we can work everything out."  
  
"Do you really believe that?"  
  
He smiled as he said, "When I think about everything we've already gotten through together, I know we can."  
  
She laughed softly. Even after six years together, he was still able to surprise her with his ability to make her feel better. "Have I mentioned lately how much I love you?"  
  
He pretended to consider this for a few moments, then a large grin spread across his face. "Actually, now that you mention it..."  
  
Chuckling, she slipped her arms around his neck. Turning serious, she said, "I do love you, Mark. And everyday, I am so grateful to have you in my life."  
  
"Good, because I feel the same way," he whispered. "I love you, Elizabeth."  
  
She rested her head on his chest and sighed contentedly as she listened to the sound of his beating heart.  
  
"What time are you on tomorrow?" Mark wondered after several minutes had passed.  
  
"Nine, but I was planning to go in by seven and take care of some things," she replied. "You know, I haven't looked at the budget reports since this afternoon, and I don't even feel guilty about it."  
  
"Maybe you just needed a break."  
  
"Maybe," she said with a slight chuckle. "What time are you on tomorrow?"  
  
"Ten. I'll get David ready in the morning and take him to daycare, so you won't have to worry about that," he offered.  
  
"Thanks. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll be able to get away early and we can spend some time together tomorrow afternoon," she said hopefully.  
  
"I think that'd be good for both of you. Since you've got an early day tomorrow, want to head on up to bed?" he suggested.  
  
"No, I just want to stay right here with you." Sadly, she admitted, "David's not the only one I've been neglecting lately."  
  
"But the difference is that I understand why you've been so busy lately. And I just want you to let me know if there's anything I can do to make this easier on you."  
  
"For now, will you just stay here with me like this?" she requested softly.  
  
"I'll stay with you forever," he promised before kissing her tenderly.  
  
*****  
  
Mark walked down the hall to David's room the next morning. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he smiled as he watched his son sleeping. The blankets were twisted all around him and the pillow was askew under his head, but he held his bear tightly with his right hand.  
  
"David, time to get up," Mark said cheerfully.  
  
David stirred a few moments later, then slowly opened his eyes, but shut them quickly when he saw Mark watching.  
  
Chuckling, Mark pointed out, "I know you're awake." When David still didn't move, Mark added, "If you don't get up, the tickle monster's going to come and get you."  
  
David laughed softly, but still pretended to be asleep.  
  
"Okay, you asked for it," Mark warned before he pulled back the blanket and began to tickle David.  
  
"Daddy! I'm awake! Stop it!" David said between fits of giggles.  
  
Mark finally relented. "Are you going to get up now?"  
  
"Yes, Daddy," David agreed as he sat up and wiped the sleep from his eyes.  
  
"I'm going to go downstairs and get breakfast while you straighten up your bed. Deal?"  
  
David nodded as he climbed out of bed. "Deal."  
  
"I'll see you in the kitchen," Mark as he got up and headed for the stairs.  
  
"'Morning," Mark smiled as he entered the kitchen and found Elizabeth sorting through papers in her attaché case.  
  
"Hi," she said without looking up. "Is David awake yet?"  
  
"Yeah, I just got him up. He's straightening up his bed now, should be down in a few minutes," Mark replied as he stepped closer to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. "How are you doing this morning?"  
  
She stopped what she was doing and turned to smile at him. "Better, thank you."  
  
"That's what I'm here for," he smiled back.  
  
"I'm going to talk to Donald as soon as he gets in this morning. I'm also really hoping I'll be able to leave early this afternoon so David and I can spend some time together," she said softly. "But please don't say anything to him about it. I don't want to get his hopes up if it turns out that I won't be able to leave."  
  
"Sure," he nodded. "Let me know if there's anything I can do."  
  
"Thank you, but I think you've done more than enough already," she said softly.  
  
"You know I'd do anything, and then some, for you," he reminded her.  
  
Slipping her arms around his neck, she just said, "I love you."  
  
"I love you, too," he whispered before pressing his lips to hers.  
  
A few moments later, a small voice cried, "Ewwwww!"  
  
Mark laughed as he pulled away from Elizabeth. Picking David up, he sat him on the counter. He mussed his son's hair, then said, "You just wait. One day, you're going to find a girl, and you're going to love her as much as I love your mum."  
  
"Girls are icky!" David proclaimed firmly.  
  
"Does that include me?" Elizabeth asked with a grin.  
  
"You're not a girl," David explained, as if it should be perfectly obvious.  
  
Elizabeth laughed, then wondered, "So what am I?"  
  
"You're a mummy!" he answered simply.  
  
Still laughing as she pulled a light blue blazer on over her dress, she said, "Well, I think Daddy might disagree with you on that one."  
  
A puzzled looked crossed David's face, and he asked, "Why?"  
  
"I think we'd better save that conversation until you're older," Mark suggested with a wary look in Elizabeth's direction. "For now, we need to decide what to have for breakfast."  
  
"I want Cheerio's and strawberries," David replied.  
  
"Cheerio's and strawberries? I think we can handle that," Mark replied as he walked to the cabinet to retrieve the cereal, then picked up the milk and berries from the refrigerator.  
  
"Are you having breakfast with us, Mummy?" David inquired.  
  
"I've already had breakfast, sweetheart," she replied, silently hoping that a banana and a cup of coffee constituted breakfast. "I'm getting ready to go to the hospital, but you and Daddy are going to have breakfast, then he's going to take you to daycare. And I'll have dinner with you tonight."  
  
"Really?" he questioned, somewhat skeptically.  
  
"Really," she confirmed, once again hoping she would be able to get away early. The effect her added work was having on him was obvious. Kissing him on the forehead, she said, "I'm going to go now, but I want you to be a good boy today."  
  
Solemnly, he promised, "I will, Mummy."  
  
Chuckling warily, she picked him up and said, "Let's get you off this counter before you fall and break something. Why don't you walk me to the door?"  
  
"Okay," David replied cheerfully as he took his mother's hand and they walked though the living room.  
  
As they reached the door, she kneeled in front of him and said, "Have fun in daycare. And since Daddy's working late, you and I'll be able to spend some time together before he gets home."   
  
"Bye, Mummy," he said, wrapping his arms around her neck and giving her a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Bye, sweetheart," she whispered. Standing up, she added, "I'll see you later."  
  
After Elizabeth closed the door, David ran back into the kitchen. "Daddy, Daddy! Is breakfast ready?"  
  
"Yeah, your juice and cereal are on the table, and the bagel will be ready in just a minute."  
  
"Bagel?" David questioned hesitantly.  
  
"Yeah," Mark nodded. "It's in toaster now."  
  
With a mortified expression, David said, "I have to eat a puppy?!"  
  
"David? What are you talking about?" Mark questioned, genuinely confused.  
  
"Last week, at the park!" David cried, becoming more animated. "You told me the puppy we saw was a bagel! I don't want to eat the puppy!"  
  
Mark couldn't help but laugh as he finally understood what his son was talking about. Crouching down, he said, "David, you're not going to be eating a dog. The puppy in the park last week was a beagle. I'm fixing bagels for breakfast, Mummy and I have fixed them for you before."  
  
Still suspicious, David asked, "They're not the same thing?"  
  
"No, they're not," Mark assured him.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"I am positive. Go sit at the table, and I'll show you." Checking the toaster, Mark saw that the bagels were ready. He carefully placed them on the plate, then picked up a container of cream cheese and sat down next to David. "See? It's just bread."  
  
Propping his elbows on the table, David rested his chin in his hands and curiously watched as Mark spread the cream cheese on the bagel. Mark took a bite out of his half of the bagel, then offered the other half to David. "You going to eat yours?"  
  
David took a small, hesitant bite and chewed it thoughtfully. Finally, he grinned and said, "This is good!"  
  
"I told you!" Mark laughed. "I saw on your daycare schedule that you're going to be painting today. Are you going to paint me a picture?"  
  
"No," David said, shaking his head.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I'm going to paint Mummy a picture," David replied with a smile.  
  
"What are you going to paint her?"  
  
"A picture of our house, with lots and lots of flowers around it."  
  
"I'm sure she'll love that," Mark assured him.  
  
David picked at his cereal for a few moments, then wondered, "Daddy, can I use the money I've saved to buy Mummy a new vase?"  
  
"You want to buy Mummy a new vase?"  
  
David nodded resolutely. "I got the money from my bank. Will you help me?"  
  
"Of course I'll help you," Mark smiled. "Do you want to go to the florist this morning and find a new vase? We have some time before I have to be at work."  
  
"Can we?" David wondered excitedly.  
  
"Sure. Let's just finish breakfast, then we'll get ready and go."  
  
*****  
  
Mark held David's hand as they walked down the Chicago street, then turned into the florist's shop where Mark was a fairly regular customer.  
  
From behind the cash register, Samantha Jennings looked up as the bell on the door chimed to let her know someone was entering her shop. Smiling, she said, "'Morning, Dr. Greene. What are we getting for Dr. Corday today?"  
  
Mark chuckled softly, then nodded towards David and explained, "Someone broke his mother's vase yesterday, so we're looking for a new one."  
  
"Do you have anything in particular in mind?" Samantha wondered.  
  
"Is it okay if we just look around for a little while?"  
  
"Sure," Samantha nodded, "let me know when you've found something."  
  
Leading David over to the refrigerated display cases, Mark asked, "Do you see anything you think Mummy would like?"  
  
For the next five minutes, David walked back and forth in front of the displays, carefully studying the contents of each. He finally stopped in front of a large arrangement of pale pink and white roses, interlaced with lilies and snapdragons, in a crystal vase. Turning to his father, he inquired, "Do you think Mummy would like those?"  
  
Grinning, Mark said, "You've got very good taste. I think Mummy will love those."  
  
"How much do they cost?" David asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, but I'll check." Walking over to the cash register, Mark asked Samantha, "Could you tell me how much this arrangement is?"  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"The roses, lilies and snapdragons," he replied.  
  
After consulting the price list in front of her, Samantha said, "Very nice arrangement, and I'm not just saying that because I made it myself. That one's fifty-two dollars, plus tax and delivery."  
  
"Okay, thanks," Mark nodded. Returning to David, he reported, "Those flowers are about sixty dollars."  
  
David took his backpack off, placed it on the ground, opened the front pocket, then withdrew a crumpled dollar bill and a handful of coins. Looking up, he asked, "How much money do I have, Daddy?"  
  
Mark counted the money, then reported, "Three dollars and thirty-four cents."  
  
"And how much are the flowers?"  
  
"About sixty dollars," Mark repeated.  
  
David sighed heavily, then dejectedly asked, "That's a lot of quarters, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes, it is," Mark confirmed with a nod.  
  
Trying not to cry, David said, "I wanted to get Mummy a new vase."  
  
"What if we make a deal?" Mark suggested.  
  
David looked up at his father curiously. "What kind of deal?"  
  
"I'll pay for the flowers, and you can send them to Mummy. Then, for the next month, you'll have to help set the table every night before dinner, help put the dishes in the dishwasher after dinner, keep your room straight, and not complain when Mummy or I ask you to do something." He let David consider that for a few moments, then wondered, "Do we have a deal?"  
  
David nodded excitedly. "Yes."  
  
"What do you want to say on the card?"  
  
After thinking for some time, David replied, "I want to say, 'I love you, Mummy, and I'm sorry I broke your flowers yesterday.'"  
  
Mark chuckled. "The card's not very big, so I don't think you'll be able to fit all of that on there. How about if you just put, 'I love you, Mummy?'"  
  
"Okay," David nodded in agreement.  
  
Knowing it would mean more to Elizabeth if the card were in David's handwriting, Mark next suggested, "What if I write it on one card, then you can copy it? That way, Mummy will know the flowers are from you."  
  
"Okay, Daddy."  
  
Mark walked to the counter, picked out a card and printed the message he and David had agreed upon. He then settled David at a small table near the cash register. "Here's a blank card and a pen. Just copy this one I wrote for Mummy. While you're doing that, I'm going to pay for the flowers."  
  
David could recite the alphabet without making any mistakes, but he'd yet to master writing it. Mark smiled as he waited at the register and watched David concentrate intently on writing the card, wanting it to be perfect for his mother.  
  
*****  
  
Elizabeth pushed her chair back from the desk and stretched the muscles in her back and arms, hoping to relieve the tension that had built up there. Closing her eyes, she smiled as she wondered if it would be possible to call for an emergency consult to give her a backrub. She already knew of a doctor that would be perfect for the job.  
  
Sighing, she realized that would probably have to wait until later that night. As she opened her eyes and looked around her office, she was almost surprised that she was able to see the surface of her desk. It had been at least two or three weeks since she'd last been able to do that.  
  
Chuckling to herself, she stood up, stretched again, then picked up the surgical schedule and carried it out to the nurses' station. "Mandy, here's the schedule for the rest of the week. Let me know if there are any problems."  
  
Glancing at the schedule, Mandy commented, "You're leaving at three everyday this week?"  
  
"Yes," Elizabeth confirmed, "Donald's going to be helping me out, and I'm going to be taking work home. I have all of my surgeries scheduled for mornings this week. Can you make sure it's distributed and posted?"  
  
"Certainly."  
  
Finally taking notice of the large vase of flowers sitting on the counter, Elizabeth remarked, "These are lovely."  
  
"They're for you," Mandy smiled.  
  
"Really?" Elizabeth questioned with a surprised smile as she looked through the bouquet, then found a card hidden behind a pale pink rose. She didn't even need to look. She already knew who the flowers were from. But opening the card, she bit her lip and was surprised to feel tears spring to her eyes. In a four year-old's unsettled penmanship was written, "I love you, Mummy. David."  
  
She knew he'd received more than a little help from Mark. There was no way their son could afford flowers like that on an allowance of twenty-five cents a week! But seeing the card in his handwriting just melted her heart.  
  
"Are they from Dr. Greene?" Mandy wondered, breaking Elizabeth's thoughts.  
  
Smiling to herself, Elizabeth quietly said. "No, actually, they're not." Without saying anything else, she picked up the flowers and carried them into her office.  
  
She cleared off a spot near the corner of her desk, and carefully placed the vase so that she could see them clearly see them from her chair. Before sitting down, she inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet, fragrant smell that was beginning to fill her office.  
  
Settling into the smooth leather, she looked at the card in her hand again and couldn't help but smile. Ever since their relationship began, Mark had always sent her flowers for birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions, that type of thing. The first time he sent her flowers "just because" was about two weeks after the surgery to remove his tumor. She'd been back to work for a week, while he stayed home to recuperate. She wanted to hire a nurse to stay with him during the day while she was at the hospital, so he wouldn't be alone if he fell or had a seizure, but he immediately rejected that idea. She was so worried about him those first few weeks after they returned to Chicago. She picked up the phone probably a dozen times an hour, just wanting to call home and reassure herself that he was doing okay. Somehow, she was able to restrain herself and only call him about four times a day.  
  
She closed her eyes and sighed as she remembered those months. There had been so much going on then. Just weeks after they got engaged and moved into the house, she found out she was pregnant, she was served with the Patterson lawsuit and Mark's tumor was diagnosed. Even now, four and a half years later, she still remembered exactly how terrified she'd been of losing him. She'd never needed anyone as much as she needed him. He and David meant everything to her.  
  
She knew the tumor could come back, or any one of a thousand other things could happen that would take him away from her. Most of the time, so many other things were going on that she didn't think about it. But other times, that same fear would come back. She thought back to the month before, when Mark went to New York for his annual check-up. They'd planned to go together and take David. After the appointment with Dr. Burke, they were going to spend a few days shopping, taking David to see "Seussical" and Central Park. But Mark's appointment was scheduled for Romano's last week at County, and Elizabeth had to stay in Chicago, attempting to finalize as much as possible before he left. Mark took David with him, and she missed them both like crazy during the four days they were gone. While her days were filled with work, the nights were almost unbearable. The house seemed so huge and empty. Finding it impossible to sleep in their bed alone, she'd lie awake thinking about everything that Burke could be telling Mark, and hating the fact that she wasn't there with him. He'd called as soon Burke gave him the results of the MRI and the other tests, all of which looked normal and pointed to full remission. She'd been relieved, but she still wasn't able to breathe easy until they were both safely back in Chicago.  
  
Elizabeth opened her eyes and smiled softly as she looked at the flowers. Of all the flowers Mark sent her, the ones he sent "just because" meant the most to her. And this time, he let David sign the card. That was just perfect.  
  
From the flowers, her gaze shifted to the framed photograph that also sat on her desk. It was one of Mark and David that she'd taken on Christmas morning. They were both still in their pajamas, and after opening presents, David crawled into Mark's lap with a book he'd gotten for Christmas and asked his father to read to him. Looking at that picture, it was clear that the only thing she needed to know was that Mark and David were both safe, healthy and there with her.  
  
Glancing at the clock, she realized she was due in Operating Room Two in ten minutes. She stood and took a moment to smell the flowers before leaving her office for the scrub room.  
  
*****  
  
"Did you hear the latest?" Haleh wondered as she and Chuny stocked supply carts across from the ER admit desk later that afternoon.  
  
"What's that?" Chuny asked.  
  
"About Dr. Corday's affair."  
  
"What?!" Chuny exclaimed in shock. "No way! She wouldn't!"  
  
"I had lunch with Jane from surgery today. She heard that Dr. Corday got this huge bunch of flowers this morning. She even said they weren't from Mark! She's also leaving early every day this week. And Mark's working until at least six or seven," Haleh explained with a knowing look. "You do the math."  
  
"I'm guessing Mark doesn't know yet?" Chuny commented.  
  
Haleh shook his head. "The poor boy's clueless. And can you imagine what this place is going to be like once he finds out? If he's miserable, he'll make the rest of us miserable, too."  
  
"What about David? He adores both of them. This is NOT going to be pretty."  
  
Glancing down the hall, Haleh warned, "Watch out. Mark's coming."  
  
Chuny nodded as they both returned to adding supplies to the carts before them. Seeing Elizabeth approach the admit desk about five minutes later, Chuny murmured, "This could get interesting."  
  
"Oh, yeah," Haleh agreed.  
  
Elizabeth grinned as she walked up to the admit desk. Mark was staring intently at the computer monitor before him and didn't notice her presence at first. Folding her arms on the desk, she watched him for a few moments, before softly calling, "Hey."  
  
Looking up, he smiled. "Hi. How's your day going?"  
  
"Really well," she said happily. "I talked to Donald this morning. His daughter's in college now, so he has more time. He said he'd be more than glad to help out as long as the Board wants me to serve as both Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery."  
  
"That's great," Mark said sincerely. "I told you it would all work out."  
  
"I know," she said quietly.  
  
"Are you going to be able to get out of here early today?"  
  
"Yeah," she confirmed with a smile. "I just need to head upstairs, make one last check of my patients, then pick up David from daycare."  
  
"Have anything special planned?"  
  
"I just thought we'd get hot dogs, go for a walk by the water, feed the geese, talk," she suggested.  
  
"He'll love that," Mark assured her.  
  
Grinning, she commented, "That reminds me. I have a question for you."  
  
"What's that?" he inquired.  
  
"Do you know anything about the large bouquet of flowers currently sitting on my desk?"  
  
"Flowers?" he questioned with a shrug. "No, I didn't send you any flowers. Should I be worried about who did?"  
  
"Oh, yeah," she chuckled. "He's very cute. Thick blond hair, big brown eyes and he likes to climb in bed with us after he's had a bad dream."  
  
Mark just laughed as he watched her.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered.  
  
He shook his head. "It was his idea. He wanted to get you a new vase. I just took him to the florist, he even picked it out himself."  
  
"Well, I hope you paid," she laughed. "Because if our four year-old can afford that, I think we're doing something wrong!"  
  
"He was so cute," Mark admitted with a laugh. "He brought all of the money from his bank with him, it was about three dollars. He asked me how much the flowers were, then after I told him, he looked like he was ready to cry when he asked me if that was a lot of quarters."  
  
"That is so sweet," she said softly.   
  
"I finally made a deal with him. where I would pay for the flowers if he agreed to help set the table and clean up after dinner every night, keep his room straight and generally not complain when we ask him to do something," Mark explained. "So, if this works according to plan, we should have the best-behaved four year-old in the world for the next month."  
  
"In that case, I really hope this works!" she grinned. "What time are you off?"  
  
"Not until eight," he replied with a sigh. "Why?"  
  
She thought for a moment, then said, "Don't make any plans for dinner."  
  
He scoffed, "I'll be lucky if I have ten minutes to grab something from Doc's."  
  
"Don't," she said with a small grin as she shook her head.  
  
He watched her curiously, then wondered, "Why? Do you have something planned?"  
  
"Possibly," she said as her grin turned mischievous and she stepped around the desk so that she was standing next to him. Just before her lips found his, she whispered, "I'll bring David down before we leave, then I'll see you at home."  
  
"Okay," he nodded. "I'll call before David's bedtime to say goodnight."  
  
"Bye," she called as she started down the hall.  
  
Having heard most of their conversation, Chuny turned to Haleh. "I knew she wasn't having an affair!"  
  
"Well, Jane just told me that she said the flowers weren't from Mark and she was leaving early. What else was I supposed to think?" Haleh said, trying to defend herself.  
  
"That the flowers were from her son, and that she was taking the afternoon off to spend with him?" Chuny laughed. "Now hand me those four-by-fours."  
  
*****  
  
Elizabeth stood at the window for a moment and watched as David put the finishing touches on the picture he was painting, then carefully cleaned his paintbrush at the sink and put away his smock and supplies.  
  
Walking into the room, Elizabeth approached her son from behind and wondered, "Did you paint me a picture today?"  
  
Turning to face her, David exclaimed, "Mummy!"  
  
"Hi, sweetheart," she said as she opened her arms and drew him into her embrace.  
  
"Did you come to visit me?" David wondered.  
  
"Actually, I came to pick you up," she explained. "I thought we'd get hot dogs and go for a walk, like we used to."  
  
"Really?" he questioned excitedly. "You don't have to work?"  
  
"No, I don't have to work. I'm taking the rest of the day off to spend with you."  
  
"Yea!" David cried gleefully.  
  
Elizabeth laughed, then repeated her earlier question, "Did you paint me a picture today?"  
  
"It's over here," David explained as he took Elizabeth's hand and led her to his easel. "It's our house and you and me and Daddy and Rachel, but it's not dry yet."  
  
"It's very good," Elizabeth assured him. "Can I hang it in my office after it dries? That way I'll be reminded of you when I'm working."  
  
"Yes, Mummy," he smiled proudly.  
  
"Thank you," Elizabeth smiled. "I also wanted to thank you for my flowers. They're very pretty and I really like them."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yes, I do. Thank you," she repeated as she kissed him on the forehead.  
  
"You're welcome, Mummy," David beamed. Then, somewhat sheepishly, he admitted, "I wanted to get you a new vase because I broke your old one."  
  
"I know. And that means a lot to me." Chuckling softly as she mussed his hair, she suggested, "Let's get your things together, then we'll go downstairs and say bye to Daddy before we leave."  
  
"Okay," David agreed as he cheerfully ran off towards the day care center's closet in search of his backpack.  
  
*****  
  
"Do you like spending time together like this?" Elizabeth wondered as she and David sat on a bench overlooking the water later that afternoon.  
  
"Mmhmm," David mumbled with his mouth full.  
  
Elizabeth chuckled, "Is your hot dog good?"  
  
After he finished chewing, David nodded, "Hot dogs are my favorite!"  
  
Elizabeth couldn't help but smile as she watched him. Thinking back to the weeks after she found out she was pregnant, she remembered trying to eat a hot dog for lunch during her deposition in the Patterson case. David had promptly rejected that idea. Elizabeth wasn't even able to look at a hot dog until he was almost a year old!  
  
Softly, Elizabeth said, "I'm sorry we haven't been able to spend as much time together lately because I've been working a lot."  
  
"Mummy, why do you have to work so much?" David asked plaintively, repeating his question from the night before.  
  
Elizabeth drew in a deep breath as she tried to think of the best way to answer his question. Finally, she spoke. "When I was a little girl, just a few years older than you are now, I decided I wanted to be a doctor like my father and my grandfather. It took a long time, but I worked very hard and I became a surgeon. Being a doctor is something I'm good at, it's something I enjoy doing and I get to help people at the same time. Even though it can be very hard at times, it makes me feel good, it makes me feel special."  
  
"Don't I make you feel special, Mummy?"  
  
"Oh, Sweetheart," she sighed softly. "Yes, you make me feel very special, more than you will ever know. It's just... it's just that being a doctor makes me feel special in a different way. But that doesn't mean that I love you any less."  
  
David continued to eat his hot dog in a contemplative silence as he stared out over the water.  
  
After a few moments, Elizabeth said, "I've been thinking a lot lately, and I really miss our time together like this. I've been able to arrange my schedule so I can leave work early this week and we can spend the afternoons together."  
  
David looked to her curiously. "All week?"  
  
"All week," she confirmed with a smile. "I won't be able to leave early everyday after this week, but I'm really going to try to make more time for us. Would you be okay if we could do this once or twice a week?"  
  
"Like we did before?" he smiled.  
  
"Yeah, like we did before Romano left and I started working so much. David, I am so sorry I haven't been spending as much time with you lately," Elizabeth said apologetically.  
  
"It's okay, Mummy," he assured her.  
  
A sad smile crossed over her face as she said, "No, it's not okay. You and your dad mean more to me than anything else in this world. I've been taking both of you for granted. But I'm not going to do that anymore." She stopped and drew in a deep breath before she added, "My mum worked a lot when I little, and didn't spend much time with me. I was mad at her for a very long time because of that. I don't want you to be mad at me, David."  
  
David stared at his mother with a confused expression, then sat his hot dog on the bench moved closer to her. Wrapping his arms around her neck, he said, "I'm not mad at you, Mummy. I love you."  
  
Elizabeth closed her eyes tightly as she tried to hold back the tears. "I know, Sweetheart," she whispered into his hair. "I love you, too."  
  
After a few minutes, David pulled back and wondered, "Can we go feed the gooses now?"  
  
Noticing half of his hot dog remained uneaten, Elizabeth questioned, "Don't you want to finish your lunch first?"  
  
"But, Mummy, I'm full. Can I feed it to the gooses?"  
  
"Okay," Elizabeth chuckled, "I'm sure the geese would like a hot dog for a change. And if they want something different, I've got a bag of bread crumbs, too."  
  
David took his hot dog and walked down the small embankment towards the water, where about six geese were gathered. He dropped pieces of the hot dog and the bun on the ground, which the geese quickly gobbled. Wanting more, they began to approach David, prompting him to run back up the hill towards his mother.  
  
"Mummy! Stop them! They're after me!" he cried.  
  
"They're not after you, David!" she laughed. Reaching into the bag she was carrying, she withdrew a smaller plastic bag filled with breadcrumbs. She reached for his hand as they stood up and walked back towards the geese. "They're after more food. Just spread some crumbs on the ground in front of them."  
  
David carefully picked up a handful of crumbs from the bag, then threw them down in the grass. He watched intently as the geese searched the ground for their food. Looking up with a huge smile, he said, "This is fun, Mummy."  
  
"Yeah, it is," Elizabeth agreed, smiling back.  
  
*****  
  
"David!" Elizabeth exclaimed later that evening as she tried to give her son a bath, but seemed to be getting one herself. "Stop splashing all over the place!"  
  
"But it's fun, Mummy!" he giggled.  
  
"No, it's not fun!" she countered. "I'm getting soaked!"  
  
David continued to laugh as he splattered water all over the tub, and Elizabeth.  
  
"David, please sit still for a minute, just so I can wash your hair," she implored. "I don't want to get soap in your eyes."  
  
Just as Elizabeth began to work the shampoo into David's hair, the telephone rang. With a frustrated sigh, she reached for a towel and dried her hands. Looking at David, she firmly told him, "I don't want you to move an inch until I get off the phone! Is that understood?"  
  
Sensing that his mother was getting more than a bit annoyed, he quietly said, "Yes, Mummy."  
  
Elizabeth picked up the phone from the bathroom vanity, thankful that she'd remembered to bring it with her since Mark wasn't home. "Hello?"  
  
"Hi, how's it going?" the familiar voice said.  
  
"Well, at the moment, I'm trying to give YOUR son a bath," she replied.  
  
Mark laughed. "So now he's MY son? What has he done?"  
  
"He's making sure I'm getting as wet as he is." Noticing that David was moving around, she quickly warned, "David! Don't even think about pulling that bottle of shampoo into the tub!"  
  
"I'm guessing now would not be the best time for a bedtime story," Mark commented with a chuckle.  
  
Elizabeth had to laugh. "Well, I'm ready for bed, but I don't think your target audience is."  
  
"I'm in the lounge doing chart Q&A, so why don't you just give me a call back once you've got David ready for bed?"  
  
"IF I can get him ready for bed," she said warily.  
  
"I'll be home in about an hour and a half," he reminded her.  
  
"I can't wait," she admitted softly. "I've missed you."  
  
"I've missed you, too."  
  
Slowly drawing in a deep breath, she said, "We'll call you back in a few minutes."  
  
"Okay, talk to you then," Mark said before hanging up.  
  
Elizabeth placed the phone back on the vanity, then turned to David. "That was Daddy. He was calling to read you a story, but you're not ready for bed yet. So what do you say we hurry and finish your bath so we can call him back before he gets busy at work?"  
  
"Okay, Mummy," David agreed.  
  
Ten minutes later, Elizabeth helped David out of the tub, dried him off and combed his hair. Wrapping the towel around him, she said, "Go to your room and get in your PJs while I get a dry shirt, then we'll call Daddy."  
  
David ran down the hall as Elizabeth began to clean up the bathroom. After she finished, she quickly went to her bedroom and grabbed the closest dry shirt she could find, which happened to be one of Mark's that was lying over the chair. Going back down the hall, she stopped in the bathroom to pick up the phone, then entered David's room.  
  
"All ready for bed?"  
  
"Mmhmm," David nodded from under the covers.  
  
"Got your PJs on right?" Elizabeth wondered as she picked up his Curious George book and sat down on the bed next to him.  
  
"Yup," David said proudly. "The tags are in the back."  
  
Elizabeth smiled. "Very good. You want to call Daddy?"  
  
"Yeah," David grinned.  
  
Elizabeth handed him the phone, then said, "Daddy should be in the lounge, so we'll try there. First press the talk button, then dial the number. It's 555-1432."  
  
David carefully dialed the number and waited for someone to answer. "May I speak to Dr. Greene, please?"  
  
"This is Dr. Greene," Mark answered with a smile.  
  
"Daddy, it's me!"  
  
Mark chuckled "Me, who?"  
  
"It's David!" he giggled.  
  
"Oh, yeah, I remember you," Mark laughed. Then turning serious, he decided to remind his son of their "loan agreement." "Were you giving your mum a hard time with your bath? I thought we agreed this morning that you weren't going to complain when Mummy or I asked you to do something."  
  
"I'm sorry, Daddy. I forgot," David said apologetically.  
  
Elizabeth smiled curiously as she watched David on the phone, wondering what he could be apologizing for, then wondering if Mark was talking to him about making his bath difficult.  
  
"It's okay," Mark assured him. "Just don't let it happen again."  
  
"I won't," David promised.  
  
"Ready for your story?"  
  
"Can we read 'Curious George?'" David wondered.  
  
"Sure, how about we finish 'Curious George Takes a Job?' That's what Mummy was reading to you last night, right?"  
  
David agreed happily, "Yeah."  
  
"Do you know where you stopped?"  
  
Hesitantly, David admitted, "No, I don't."  
  
"Why don't you ask Mummy?"  
  
Turning to Elizabeth, David inquired, "Where did we stop last night?"  
  
"Tell Daddy we stopped on page eight."  
  
Speaking back into the phone, David said, "Page eight."  
  
Mark smiled, then reminded David how this would work. "Okay, you hold the phone and I'll read from my book here, then I'll tell you when to turn the pages in your book."  
  
"Okay, Daddy."  
  
Before he started reading, Mark said, "I love you, David. Be good for Mummy until I get home."  
  
"I will," David nodded, "I love you, too, Daddy."  
  
Elizabeth wrapped her arm around David and stroked his hair back from his face as he held the phone with one hand and used the other to turn the pages of the book, his brown bear cradled next to him. There were times when he could frustrate her more than most anyone else she knew, like earlier during his bath; but there were also moments like this, where she truly didn't even want to image what her life would be like without him. She had to smile as she realized he was very much like his father in that regard.  
  
After Mark had been reading for about fifteen minutes, Elizabeth noticed that David had stopped turning the pages. She carefully took the phone and the book from him, then pulled the comforter around his shoulders. Into the phone she whispered, "You lost your audience."  
  
Mark laughed. "He's asleep?"  
  
"Yeah," she said softly as she continued to watch David.  
  
"Are you doing better than when I called earlier?" he asked in a concerned tone.  
  
She smiled, "Yeah, I'm just tired."  
  
"Why don't you go to bed, or take a nap until I get home?" he suggested.  
  
She shook her head. "If I do that, I'll be up all night. I'll just put the finishing touches on dinner, then sit down and relax for a little while."  
  
"Are you sure you don't want me to stop on my way home and pick up dinner?"  
  
"No!" she laughed. "I've taken care of everything."  
  
"So what are we having?" he wondered.  
  
"It's a surprise," she teased.  
  
"You're not going to tell me?"  
  
Chuckling, she said, "No."  
  
"Well, I should be home soon anyway."  
  
"I'll be waiting," she said softly.  
  
"Love you."  
  
"Love you, too."  
  
Elizabeth smiled as she hung up the phone. She tucked David in one more time and kissed him on the forehead before going downstairs.  
  
*****  
  
Surveying the dining room table on last time, Elizabeth nodded approvingly as she lit the candles. She returned to the kitchen and checked the Cornish game hens in the oven. Pleased with their progress, she retrieved the asparagus from the refrigerator and began washing it in the sink.  
  
Mark entered the front door and dropped his bag by the table in the foyer. Walking through the dining room, he saw Elizabeth working with her back to him. He smiled as he leaned against the doorway leading into the kitchen, just wanting to watch her for a few minutes before she realized he was there.  
  
She moved effortlessly around the room, humming softly to herself. They'd been together for the last six years, married for the last four. He never thought it possible, but he loved her even more now than he did on their wedding day. He couldn't even begin to describe how grateful he was to have her in his life.  
  
Smiling, he stepped behind her and slipped his arms around her waist as he said, "I thought you were going to rest?"  
  
Elizabeth gasped sharply as she turned to face him. "Mark! You scared me half to death!" As she tried to catch her breath, she added, "I didn't hear you come in."  
  
"Sorry," he grinned before finding her lips with his.  
  
"Did you just get home?" she wondered.  
  
"A few minutes ago. I was just standing there, watching you work."  
  
Coyly, she asked, "Did you like what you saw?"  
  
"Oh, yeah," he nodded before kissing her again. As the kiss ended, he commented, "Nice shirt."  
  
Glancing down, she chuckled. "I was soaked after giving David a bath. While he was putting on his PJs, before we called you back, I ran into our room, looking for something dry to wear. This was the closest."  
  
"Well, it looks very good on you," he confirmed. "Then again, all my stuff looks better on you."  
  
She just wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled softly.  
  
"You never answered my question," he pointed out.  
  
A confused look crossed her face. "What question?"  
  
"Why aren't you resting?"  
  
"I was!" she laughed. "After I got off the phone with you and tucked David in, I came down and relaxed on the sofa for about half an hour, thumbed through a few magazines, then came in here to finish preparing dinner."  
  
Mark gently caressed her cheek as he said, "I know you've got a lot going on right now. I just want to make sure you're not overdoing it."  
  
"I'm not... yet," she said with a wary smile.  
  
"I don't want you to get to that point either," he said distinctly.  
  
She pulled away from him and walked over to the stove, where she stirred the rice that was simmering. Remaining quiet, she returned to the sink and continued rinsing the asparagus. Finally, she admitted in a plaintive tone, "I'm not sure that's possible."  
  
"Why is that?" he asked as he stepped closer to her and placed his hand on the small of her back.  
  
She sighed heavily. "I keep telling myself that this is going to work, that is has to; that with Donald helping I'll be able to get all of the work done and still spend time with David. But sometimes I'm just not so sure." She stopped and drew in a deep breath before turning to look at him. "How do you do it, Mark? You spend just as much, probably more, time with David than I do, yet you still put in a full week at the hospital."  
  
"That's because I'm a lowly ER attending, and you're Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery," he pointed out. "I've got about two, maybe three, hours of paperwork after each shift, and that's only if it's been a full day and I haven't been able to do it during the lulls between patients. Right now, you've got closer to four or five hours of paperwork per shift."  
  
"Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not going to be Chief of Staff," she commented dryly.  
  
He looked confused. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I was looking over the hospital's employment policy today, the anti-nepotism provision to be more specific," she explained. "The Chief of Staff supervises all hospital employees, including ER Attendings. The anti-nepotism provision says that one spouse can't be in a supervisory provision over the other spouse."  
  
"But you could still be Chief of Surgery, right?"  
  
"Yeah," she nodded as she placed the asparagus in the steamer.  
  
"And that's what you really want, isn't it?"  
  
She considered this for several moments. "Yeah, I think so."  
  
"Why don't you press the Board, get them to make the decision sooner rather than later?" he suggested.  
  
She laughed slightly. "If they decide to hire from in-house, it actually might not be that long."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
She looked at him curiously. "Haven't you heard the latest?"  
  
"You should know by now that I'm always the last one to hear anything that's going on around the hospital!"  
  
"Yeah, I should," she chuckled as she leaned against the counter. "Weaver's interested in Chief of Staff."  
  
He laughed ruefully. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"  
  
She hesitated a moment, but then commented, "If Weaver did get Chief of Staff, you'd be the most likely candidate for ER Chief. Would you want it?"  
  
"I've never really thought about it," he admitted. "I'd have to think about it long and hard, because right now, I don't know."  
  
An impish smile crossed her face as she said, "Chief of Surgery and Chief of Emergency Medicine. That would make us the ultimate hospital power couple, wouldn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, it would," he agreed with a grin. "You like that image?"  
  
"It has a certain appeal to it."  
  
He stepped closer to her and slipped his arms around her waist. Softly, he said, "It's something to consider."  
  
"Yeah," she nodded as rested her head against his chest.  
  
"You know something else we should consider?"  
  
"What's that?" she questioned with her eyes closed.  
  
"Dinner," he laughed.  
  
Looking up, she smiled, "It'll be ready in a few minutes."  
  
"What are we having?"  
  
"Well, as you can see, we're having wild rice and asparagus, but the main dish is Cornish game hens," she replied.  
  
"Cornish game hens?" he questioned suspiciously. "You're not going domestic on me, are you?"  
  
"I don't think you have to worry about that quite yet!" She said as she picked up the dishtowel from the counter and playfully swatted his arm with it. "Why don't you go up and check on David while I finish getting dinner ready?"  
  
"Sure," he nodded. "I'll be back in a few minutes."  
  
By the time Mark returned, Elizabeth had placed two plates on the dining room table and was opening a bottle of white wine. Glancing up as he came down the stairs, she wondered, "How's he doing?"  
  
Chuckling, Mark replied, "He's down for the count. I think he had had a fight with Bear-Bear, but it looks like they made up. When I went in there, Bear-Bear was on the floor. I picked him up and placed him in the bed next to David. David immediately reached out and pulled him closer."  
  
"Since he's asleep, why don't we make the most of having a little time to ourselves for a change?" Elizabeth suggested with a smile as she poured the wine.  
  
"I like that idea," he agreed, smiling back.  
  
*****  
  
"Scoot over," Mark instructed as he entered the living room later that evening.  
  
"Thank you for doing the dishes," Elizabeth smiled as she moved to make room for him next to her on the sofa.  
  
"You're welcome," he said as he sat down next to her and placed his wineglass on the coffee table. Wrapping his arms around her, he gently pulled her back so that she was resting against his chest. "How are you doing?"  
  
"I'm okay," she nodded. "It's like I told David this afternoon, I'm just going to put in the extra effort to ensure that I don't take him, or you, for granted."  
  
"You are not taking either one of us for granted," he pointed out.  
  
"Then why do I feel like I am?" she wondered quietly. "Up until today, it had been at least three or four weeks since I spent any real quality time with David, something more than a bedtime story or a hasty meal. As for you, I can't even remember the last time we had an evening like this, where it was just the two of us."  
  
"It's okay," he whispered as he shifted slightly so that he could caress her face. "I know you've been asked to handle a lot at work, and I understand. I just wish there was some way I could help you with some of it."  
  
"You are helping," she assured him. "You're here, you're keeping me sane, you're spending time with David when I can't, the flowers, everything."  
  
"Just promise that you'll let me know if there is anything I can do," he reminded her softly.  
  
She considered this, then a slow smile made its way across her face, prompting him to wonder, "What are you thinking?"  
  
Turning in his arms, she looked into his eyes for a long moment, then said, "Remember when I said it's been a while since we've had an evening like this?"  
  
"Mmhmm," he nodded, as he pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear.  
  
"It's also been a while since we've done something else," she said suggestively.  
  
He chuckled. "Are you saying we should correct that situation tonight?"  
  
"That's exactly what I'm saying, Dr. Greene," she whispered just before slipping her arms around his neck and initiating a slow, sensuous kiss.  
  
He trailed his hands lazily down her back before slipping under her shirt and tracing small circles over her silken skin.  
  
She murmured pleasurably as she increased the intensity of the kiss. Her right hand trailed over his shoulder and down his chest until she reached the first button of his shirt.  
  
"Mummy! Mummy!" a small voice echoed down the stairs.  
  
Reluctantly, Elizabeth slowly broke the kiss. Resting her head on Mark's shoulder as she tried to catch her breath, she muttered, "We really need to discuss his sense of timing."  
  
Mark laughed as he gently caressed her cheek. "Why don't you go upstairs and see what's wrong while I lock up down here? I'll be up in a few minutes, and hopefully we can finish what we just started."  
  
"I can't wait," she said, slowly licking her lips, still savoring the taste of his kiss.  
  
"Mummy!"  
  
He pulled her closer for a brief kiss, then added, "You'd better get going."  
  
"I know, I know," she said as she untangled her body from his. Starting for the stairs, she called, "David, I'm coming!"  
  
Reaching the door to David's room, she immediately turned on the lights and found him sitting up in bed, tears streaking down his face. Sitting on the edge of the bed next to him, she asked, "What's wrong, Sweetheart?"  
  
"Bad dream," David sniffled.  
  
"Aww, come here," Elizabeth said softly as she pulled David into her lap and gently rubbed his back. "It's okay. Mummy's here now."  
  
She continued to hold him for several minutes before she finally said, "Do you remember what your dream was about?"  
  
"No, but it scared me," David said, shaking his head.  
  
"Well, it's all over now," Elizabeth reminded him. "You're going to be just fine."  
  
"Everything okay?" Mark wondered as he entered the room and sat on the other side of the bed.  
  
"Daddy!" David exclaimed upon seeing his father. Pulling away from Elizabeth, he climbed into Mark's lap.  
  
"You okay, Buddy?"  
  
"I had a bad dream," David repeated.  
  
"That's no fun. Want me to check under the bed and in the closet to make sure you're safe?" Mark offered.  
  
David seemed to consider this for a few moments, but then asked, "Can I sleep with you and Mummy tonight?"  
  
Over David's head, Mark caught Elizabeth's eye, and he knew the apologetic look he found there matched his own. As much as he wanted to be with her tonight, he knew they'd both feel too guilty about leaving David in here by himself after a nightmare. Seeing her slight nod, Mark looked back to David and said, "Okay, you can sleep in our room. Get Bear-Bear and we can go."  
  
David picked up the worn brown bear then grinned at his father. "I'm ready, Daddy."  
  
Turning around, Mark smiled as he said, "Climb on, I'll give you a ride."  
  
Elizabeth smiled as she watched David wrap his arms around Mark's neck, still holding Bear-Bear in one hand. She watched them leave the room, then stood and turned the lights off before following them down the hall.  
  
Mark sat David on the bed, then began to turn back the comforter. "Why don't you get in bed while Mummy and I change, and we'll be back in a few minutes?"  
  
While Mark got David settled, Elizabeth picked up a pair of pajama bottoms and a tank top from the dresser and walked into the bathroom.   
  
Mark followed a few moments later. "I'm sorry," he said apologetically.  
  
She smiled. "It's not your fault. Besides, it's not like this is the first time David's had a bad dream. And I'm pretty sure it won't be the last."  
  
"Probably not," he agreed with a wary grin.  
  
He watched as she began to undress, and he couldn't help but think of just how beautiful she was. Stepping closer to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You know, we could always take a quick shower before bed."  
  
She moaned as he began to place a trail of feathery kisses along the top her of shoulder. Summoning every bit of willpower she had, she finally said, "Believe me when I say that is a very appealing offer, but in the six years we've been together, I don't think we've EVER managed a quick shower together. Besides, David's in the next room."  
  
He looked at her and grinned as he said, "I hate it when you're right."  
  
She laughed softly. After a moment, she said, "I just thought of something."  
  
"What's that?" he wondered.  
  
"Remember how I said Mother called me at work today? She's going to be in town in a few weeks near the end of the month, lecturing at the Planetarium for two weeks. I'm sure she'd love a chance to stay with David one weekend if we wanted to sneak off to a nice little B and B somewhere. She really seems to be enjoying this grandmother thing," Elizabeth explained with a chuckle.  
  
"I like the sound of that," Mark smiled.  
  
She kissed him tenderly, then whispered, "So do I."  
  
"I guess this means we should get ready for bed now."  
  
"Probably," she nodded.  
  
Five minutes later, they carefully slipped into bed, not wanting to wake David, who had fallen asleep while waiting for them to return.  
  
Looking over David, Mark quietly wondered, "Are you going to be okay, with work and everything?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so," she softly, but with a sense of determination.  
  
Noticing a new resolve in her eyes, he curiously asked, "How are you so sure?"  
  
She smiled. "I just look at everything we've already gotten through."  
  
"I love you," he said simply.  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
She gently shifted David so that his head was resting on her shoulder, then Mark moved a bit closer and lightly rested his hand on her upper arm. As sleep took over, a small smile remained on her face and she knew just how lucky she was to have the two people she cared about most in the world so near to her.   
  
*****  
  
THE END  
  
I'd love to know what you think. Please send all comments and feedback to SixteenOzs02@yahoo.com LLP  
  
March 9, 2001  



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